Electric vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

An electric vacuum cleaner is provided which generally comprises a main body and a dust collection box removably mounted on said main body. A dust collection bag holder which holds the opening edge of a dust collection bag made of a polyethylene film or the like is (removably) attached to the opening of the dust collection box. The dust collection bag is held in a folded position in the cleaner, but when the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box are disposed of, the dust collection box is removed from the main body and the bag is extended to receive the dust and dirt from the dust collection box. The bag may be easily disposed by discarding in a garbage can or the like in a sanitary manner.

United States Patent [191 Sawada et al.

ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER Inventors: Katsuo Sawada; Eisaku Yoneda;

Saburo Kaiikawa; Ryuichi Yasunaga, all of Yokaichi, Japan Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka-fu, Japan Filed: May 31, 1972 App]. No.: 258,243

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data June 3, 1971 Japan 46-38887 June 3, 1971 Japan 46-46509 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1951 Nerheim 55/357 9/1962 Hallstrom 55/356 LDf G 3,621,640 11/1971 Ohno et al. 55/305 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 974,353 1 1/1904 Great Britain 55/429 786,443 11/1957 Great Britain 55/372 1,158,118 7/1969 Great Britain 15/327 E Primary Examiner-Bernard Nozick [5 7] ABSTRACT An electric vacuum cleaner is provided which generally comprises a main body and a dust collection box removably mounted on said main body. A dust collection bag holder which holds the opening edge of a dust collection bag made of a polyethylene film or the like is (removably) attached to the opening of the dust col lection box. The dust collection bag is held in a folded position in the cleaner, but when the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box are disposed of, the dust collection box is removed from the main body and the bag is extended to receive the dust and dirt from the dust collection box. The bag may be easily disposed by discarding in a garbage can or the like in a sanitary manner.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTIEBJuI i8 814 SHEET 3 0F 5 PRTENTEDJM a mu saw u or 5" FIG. 6

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to generally an electric vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, an electric vacuum cleaner of the type comprising a main body and a dust collection box removably mounted upon the main body.

In the prior art electric vacuum cleaners of the type described, it is very convenient for the dust collection box to be removed from the main body so as to dispose of the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box. But since the dust and dirt are directly collected in and disposed from the dust collection box, the dust and dirt tend to be scattered when they are removed from the dust collection box. From the standpoint of sanitation, this is the most serious defect of the prior art electric cleaner of the type described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device for an electric vacuum cleaner of the type comprising a main body and a dust collection box removably mounted upon the main body so that the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box may be disposed of in a sanitary manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust disposal device for the electric vacuum cleaner of the type described which is simple in construction and operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust disposal device which may advantageously use the dust collection bags commercially available in the market.

Briefly stated, the dust collection bag is folded, but its opening is connected to the opening end of the dust collection box so that when the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box are disposed, the dust collection box is removed from the main body of the vacuum cleaner and the dust collection bag is extended so that the dust and dirt in the dust collection box may be transferred into the dust collection bag. The dust collection bag containing the dust and dirt may be disposed of in a garbage can or the like.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a side view, partly in section of an electric vacuum cleaner in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on enlarged scale of a dust collection box thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof with the dust collection box being removed from the main body;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the method for transferring the dust and dirt collected in the dust collection box into a dust collection bag;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the method of removing the dust bag from the dust collection box;

' FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the method of handling the dust collection bag removed from the dust collection box;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of the dust collection bag to a dust collection bag holder; and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a variation of the dust collection bag holder shown in FIGS. 3-7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the accompanying; drawings and espe cially FIGS. L3, a vacuum cleaner in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a wheeled main body 1 with wheels 38 and a handle 3 and having an electric-motor-driven fan 2 housed therein; and a front dust collection box receiving section 6 formed integral with the main body 1 and separated therefrom by a partition wall 4 made integral therewith and provided with an opening 5; and a dust collection box 7 removably received in the front section 6 of the main body 1 as best shown in FIG. 3. The reference la of FIG. 3 includes an exhaust opening.

Next referring to FIG. 2, the construction of the dust collection box 7 will be described in more detail. The dust collection box 7 has a handle 10 formed integral therewith at the top of the box 7, an opening 8 and a suction port or suction pipe connection 9. The dust collection box 7 is generally divided into two chambers, a first dust collection chamber 13 and a second dust collection chamber 18, by a pre-filter 11 and a main filter 15 each having an end removably fitted into a guide groove 12 formed in the inner wall surface of the dust collection box 7. The pre-filter l1 and the main filter 15 are fitted into the guide groove 12 with a packing 16 interposed therebetween so as to provide dusttightness. The pre-filter 11 comprises a screen so that the dust and dirt which are relatively large in particle size are trapped by the pre-filter 11 and collected in the first dust chamber 13. The dust and dirt which is very fine in particle size which pass through the pre-filter 11 are trapped by the main filter 15 having a mesh smaller than that of the pre-filter 11 and collected in the second dust collection chamber 18 between the pre-filter 11 and the main filter 15.

A dust exhaust port 17 is provided on the side of the opening 8 of the dust collection box. A push button 19 extends from the handle 10 and is normally biased to move upwardly under the force of a spring 20 loaded between the flange 19a of the push button 19 and a portion of the handle 10 as best shown in FIG. 2, but is prevented from moving out of the handle 10 by the flange 19a. A lever 21 which is pivotably fixed to the dust collection box 7 with a pivot pin 22 has its one end 23 engaged with the lower end 19b of the push button 19 and has its the other end engaged with the upper edge 27 of a cover 26 which is pivotably fixed to the dust collection box 7 with a shaft 2.5 to cover the opening 8 of the dust collection box 7 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Therefore, when the other end 24 of the lever 21 is in engagement with the upper edge 27 of the cover 26, the latter is positioned against a spring 28 loaded on the shaft 25 so as to close the opening 8, but when the other end 24 of the lever 21 is released from the upper edge 27 of the cover 26 upon depression of the push button 19, the cover 26 is opened under the force of the spring 28.

A dust collection bag holder generally denoted by 29 is fitted into the stepped portions formed along the bottom and side edges of the opening 8 and interposed between the opening 8 and the cover 26. The dust collection bag holder 29 holds the opening edge of adust collection bag 30 made of a substantially impervious material such as paper or plastic sheet such as polyethylene. As best shown in FIG. 7, the dust collection bag holder 29 comprises an inner frame 32 and an outer frame 31 which is pivotably fixedto the inner frame 32 with pivot pins 34 of the outer inner frame 32 fitted into bearing members 33 formed on the inner frame 32. In operation, the opening'edge of the dust collection bag 30 is held between the inner and outer frames 32 and 31 as the latter is fitted over the former. For this purpose, the outer frame 31. is made slightly greater than the inner frame 32. In order to facilitate the removal of the dust collection bag holder 29 together with the dust collection bag 30, a handle 35 is rotatably fixed to the inner frame 32 of the dust collection bag holder 29 so that the latter may be removed from the dust collection box 7 with ease and without causing the hands to become soiled as shown in FIGS. 4-7.

Next the mode of removal of the dust collection bag holder 29 from the dust collection box 7 will be described in more detail. When the dust and dirt fill up the dust collection box 7, the latter is removed out of the main body 1 by releasing locking means 37. Thereafter, the push button 19 is depressed to open the cover 26 in the manner described above and the dust and dirt collected in the first and second dust collection chambers l3 and 18 are dropped into the dust collection bag 30 by turning upside down the dust collection box 7 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thereafter, when the operator pulls the handle 35, the dust collection bag holder 29 together with the dust collection bag 30 may be removed from the dust collection box 7 as best shown in FIG. 6.

The handle 35 of the dust collection bag holder 29 has a dust collection bag retaining member 36 formed integral with the handle 35 and is normally located at the center of the dust collection bag holder 39. The dust collection bag 30 is folded as shown in FIG. 2 and its bottom portion 30a is securely retained between the cover 26 and the retaining member 36 so that the dust collection box 30 may be prevented from being sucked into the dust collection chambers during the operation.

Next referring to FIG. 8, a variation of the dust collection bag holder 29 will be described. In this variation, a dust collection bag holder 29a is formed integral with the dust collection box 7 along the opening 8a thereof. The opening edge of the dust collection bag 30 is fitted over the dust collection bag holder 29a and is securely retained in position with a rubber band or the like 39.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that the vacuum cleaner of the present invention has many advantages which may besummaried as follows:

I. The dust and dirt collected in the dust collection III. The dust collection bag may be securely held between the pair of frames of the dust collection bag holder with the opening edge of the bag interposed therebetween so that the dust collection bag may be easily and rapidly attached to the holder.

IV. Since the pair of frame members of the bag holder are rotatably attached to each other, the dust collection bag may be easily attached to. the bag holder. Furthermore, when the pair of frame members are fitted together with the dust collection bag held therebetween and are locked in position by suitable locking means, the dust collection bag may be more firmly attached to the bag holder.

V. A sanitary and easy dust disposal may be made because the operator may use the handle to remove the dust collection bag holder from the dust collection box and dispose 'of the dust collection bag into a garbage can or the like.

VI. Since the dust collection bag receiving member is formed integral with the rotatable handle of the dust collection bag holder, the bottom portion of the dust collection bag may be securely held between the dust collection bag receiving member and the cover as best shown in FIG. 2 so that the dust collection bag may be prevented from being sucked into the dust collection chamber to adversely affect thereby the operation of the vacuum cleaner.

What is claimed is:

1. 'An electric vacuum cleaner comprising:

a. a main body having an electric motor driven fan and an outlet;

b. a dust collection box for collection of dust removably connected to said main body and having an inlet, a dust collection chamber, and an opening defining a dust outlet communicating with said dust chamber;

0. said dust collection box and main body defining an air duct extending from said inlet to said outlet by way'of said motor driven fan;

d. a filter positioned across the flow path in said air duct and being removably fixed to said dust collection box;

e. a ring-like bag holding body; and

f. a substantially impermeable dust collection bag having an open end detachably held by said ring like bag holding body to the said opening for removal of collected dust in said dust collection box, said bag being folded when said dust collection box is connected to said main body.

2. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 comprising a handle on said bag holding body for facilitating the removal of said holder from said box.

3. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 comprising a rotatable handle on said bag holding body dust collection bag may be held between said inner and outer frame members.

for releasably holding saiddust collection bag in folded condition at said opening.

7. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cover is pivotally affixed to said dust collection box, comprising catch means for holding said cover in a position aligned with said opening, and release means for selectively releasing said catch means. 

1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a. a main body having an electric motor driven fan and an outlet; b. a dust collection box for collection of dust removably connected to said main body and having an inlet, a dust collection chamber, and an opening defining a dust outlet communicating with said dust chamber; c. said dust collection box and main body defining an air duct extending from said inlet to said outlet by way of said motor driven fan; d. a filter positioned across the flow path in said air duct and being removably fixed to said dust collection box; e. a ring-like bag holding body; and f. a substantially impermeable dust collection bag having an open end detachably held by said ring like bag holding body to the said opening for removal of collected dust in said dust collection box, said bag being folded when said dust collection box is connected to said main body.
 2. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 comprising a handle on said bag holding body for facilitating the removal of said holder from said box.
 3. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 comprising a rotatable handle on said bag holding body for facilitating the removal of said bag holding body from said dust collection box, and a dust collection bag retaining member formed integral with said rotatable handle.
 4. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bag holding body comprises pivotally mounted inner and outer frame members whereby said outer frame member may be fitted over said inner frame member, and whereby the opening edge of said dust collection bag may be held between said inner and outer frame members.
 5. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said dust collection bag holder comprises inner and outer frame members pivotally affixed to each other whereby said outer frame member may be fitted over said inner frame member, and whereby the opening edge of said dust collection bag may be held between said inner and outer frame members.
 6. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cover on said dust collection box for releasably holding said dust collection bag in folded condition at said opening.
 7. An electric vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cover is pivotally affixed to said dust collection box, comprising catch means for holding said cover in a position aligned with said opening, and release means for selectively releasing said catch means. 